Congratulations to the Hawke's Bay players selected for the NZ U15 & NZ U17 24-person squads. 

• Raedeen Blake (NZ U15 Girls)
• Aliyah King (NZ U15 Girls)
• Melika Samia (NZ U17 Girls)

Raedeen (Hastings GHS, Yr 10) & Aliyah (Napier GHS, Yr 9) have been selected based on their strong performances for the Hawke's Bay U15 Girls at the 2019 Basketball New Zealand U15 National Championships. Raedeen has been consistently one of the best players in the region. In 2018 Raedeen played in the NZ U14 team that travelled to Melbourne and was named in the U15 National Tournament Team after guiding Hawke's Bay U15 Girls to a Top 4 finish in the nation under the guidance of Coach Morgan Maskell. Raedeen is currently the 3rd leading scorer in the Women's Elite League ahead of Bridge Pa's Grand Final against Napier Girls who feature King & Samia. "Raedeen has been a standout for a while now, so her selection comes as no surprise to me. Aliyah is a rapid improver who has all the skill and smarts tactically and techincally to succeed as a basketball player. She has the physical gifts as well, and when she grows into her body I believe she will become a force to be reckoned with on the court," says Morgan Maskell.

The NZ U15 Squad is preparing for the 2020 FIBA Oceania U15 Championships where the top two teams qualify for 2021 FIBA Asia U16 Championships. Top age athletes in this group are Born 2005. The NZ U17 Squad is preparing for the 2019 FIBA Asia U16 Championships where the top four teams qualify for the 2020 FIBA U17 World Champs. Top age athletes in this group are Born 2003. Melika Samia is in the NZ U17 Girls squad after being in the NZ U15 team last year that played in the FIBA Oceania U15 Championships in Papua New Guinea where she led the team in minutes, 3pt shooting and was top 3 in her team in points, rebounds, assists, free throw shooting and blocks. After averaging 36 points per game a the 2019 New Zealand Under 17 National Championships, Melika solidified herself as one of the most exciting prospects in the nation. "Melika is no doubt one of the most talented high school players in the nation regardless of age due to her combination of skill, size, athleticism, work ethic and tactical knowledge," says Maskell.

Basketball Hawkes Bay wishes the best of luck to these three athletes at the 2019 Basketball New Zealand October selection camp.